“Well first I asked for Wyatt’s permission. And then he blabbed to Rachel that I’d asked him, so it was kind of anticlimactic. At least you don’t have to worry about that with this one. She won’t tell anyone what you’re planning.”
“But your brother has a big mouth.” Hope laughed from the doorway. “Because I heard that all the way down the hallway.”
“Fuck,” Austin muttered.
“Fbbbt.” Felicity blew a raspberry.
“Seriously, Austin?” I shoved the ring box into my jeans pocket then held my hands out for my baby. “First you ruin my proposal and now you’re teaching my daughter curse words?”
“That’s my cue to leave.” Austin all but tossed the baby to me, grabbed his leather jacket off his chair and refused to look at me as he pivoted around me and Felicity. “Congrats, Hope.”
Her laughter trailed after him as he ducked and all but ran down the hallway. Her eyes were dancing as she faced us. “So can I see it!”
“Uh uh. Fliss and I have a plan and it’s not gonna be ruined by my pain in the a-s-s brother.” Still holding our daughter, I bent down and gave Hope a quick kiss. Then I had to pull away when Felicity’s hands got tangled in Hope’s hair. We took a second and untangled everyone before Hope grabbed the diaper bag. “You sure you want to tie yourself down with this insane group?”
Hope stepped into me and slid her free hand into my hair. Her lips brushed mine again in a tease of a kiss. “There’s nothing in this world that I want more.”
Overwhelming love swamped me. I had everything I’d ever wanted in my arms at that moment. And I don’t think there would ever be a better time to pop the question. Shifting Felicity in my arms, I pulled the ring box out of my pocket.
Hope gasped.
Popping the box open, I dropped to a knee. “You have made me the happiest man on this whole earth. We have a gorgeous daughter who—even though she’s only six months old—I already know is brilliant. I have you, the love of my life, in my bed every night. And I hope and pray you won’t ever wake up and realize you can do so much better than me. I will do everything I can every day of my life to be worthy of you. Of both of you. I love you with everything I got. Will you marry us?”
Felicity squealed and lunged for the proffered ring in my other hand.
“Yes.” Hope dropped to her knees in front of us and cupped my face in her hands as she kissed me again. Pulling away with a grasping cry, she laughed. Tears welled in her eyes, but I wasn’t worried. I knew these were the best kind of tears. “I’ll marry you.”
“Us,” I corrected, tipping my head toward Fliss. “We’re kind of a package deal.”
Hope shook her head. “I remember where she came from. Kinda hard to forget that.”
“Right.” I scanned the room for danger before letting Fliss loose in Austin’s office. But then this wasn’t the first time we’d commandeered his room. Felicity scooted toward the plush chair in the corner as I wrapped Hope in my arms. I kissed her again, harder and deeper than before until we both had to take a breather. “I love you.”
“I love you more.” Hope looked down at the ring box still clutched in my hand and sighed. “Wow.”
I slid the gleaming ring onto her finger. “An amazing ring for an amazing woman. I still can’t believe that you’re mine. I love you.”
Tears streamed unabashedly down her cheeks. “You are amazing. And I remember what you said earlier—you are worthy. You are the only man for me. I love you so much, Ryan.” She shook her head and swiped at her eyes. “Thank you for giving me my family. I’ve finally found the place I belong and it’s with you. And Fliss. Thank you.”
I closed my eyes and rested my head against hers. “You’re the one who’s given me everything. You’re the best mother for my daughter I could ever ask for. You’ve given me a family and a home that’s all ours, so thank you.”
Hope pulled back and after a quick glance over her shoulder at our happy daughter who was currently trying to stuff the bottom of her shirt into her mouth, she gave me a quick peck. “Can we agree that we’re perfect for the other one and amazing in our own right?”
I sighed. “I guess. Want to get home and celebrate our engagement with a little more privacy? Maybe knock another item off your sex bucket list?”
“Sounds perfect. Let’s go.”
The End
Acknowledgements
First, I have to thank you, the readers! I don’t have a job without you! I love hearing from you, how excited you are to read my books, and your eagerness for certain characters’ stories. You guys make my day with every email, FB message, and DM! You’re the reason why I do this! Thank you!
To my awesome husband, Dave—Thank you for making my writing a priority. I love you and all the wonderful things you do for me—like wrangling the tiny human out of my office.
To my kickass crit partner, Amy Isaman—Thank you for all the meetings over coffee and thoughtful feedback! You always keep me on track and true to my characters. And kick my ass to keep me motivated when I’m struggling. I hope I’m doing my share to keep you on track too.
To Dawn Mangum who was so thorough with her ninja proofreading skills. Thank you! You’re awesome!
To all my amazing author friends! Sasha Devlin, you hold my hand through all my freak outs. You talk me down when I get nutty and give me praise when I’m feeling down. I’d have a lot fewer books published without you in my life! And Stina Lindenblatt. You have been so awesome sharing all your self-published knowledge with me. You’ve given me so much with your friendship—I hope it’s been at least somewhat reciprocated! And Dayna Hart. You were so awesome with your edits! I loved and agreed with all your notes. Thanks for all your hard work!
To all the book bloggers out there who helped spread the word about my Burns Brothers books—Jo, Kylie and the rest of the crew with Give Me Books, thanks so much for all your help! Readers can find my books because of what you guys do and that means everything. Thank you!
Also By Gillian Archer
Burns Brothers Series
Build
Fast
True Brothers MC Series
Ruthless
Rebellious
Resilient
Rough Ride
HRH Series
Reluctantly Royal
Pleasure Code Series
Wicked Weekend- Temporarily out of print
Up In Knots
Bio
GILLIAN ARCHER has a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering but prefers to spend her time on happily ever after. She writes the kind of stories she loves to read—the hotter the better! When she’s not pounding away on the keyboard, she can be found chasing her preschooler, or surfing the couch while indulging in her latest reality TV fixation, or reading awesome romance ebooks by her favorite authors. Gillian Archer lives in the wilds of Nevada with her amazing husband, gorgeous little girl, and goofy dog.
gillianarcher.com
[email protected]
Facebook.com/GillianArcherWrites
Twitter: @gillianarcher
Instagram @gilliarcher
Sign up to receive important news and new-release info from Gillian Archer straight to your inbox: eepurl.com/n3UWf
Excerpt of BUILD
In case you missed it, read on for an excerpt of
Build
A Bad Boy Snowed In Romance
Burns Brothers Series #1
Out now!
Order your copy here
Chapter 1
Austin Burns
Badass Builds
Sacramento, CA
Days like today, I really wish I’d been an only child.
“You’re full of if it you think the West Coast Kings are going to be happy with a fucking paint job like that.” My younger brother by eighteen months, Nathan, growled as we stood in our workshop with all my brothers gathered around the cans for the Kings build. “It’s streaky on that side, and you totally jacked up their logo. We’ll be lucky
if those sons of bitches don’t fuck us all up.”
“I know it’s not my best work,” our youngest brother, Dylan, groaned as he stared morosely at the cans in question. “I had some shit on my mind. I guess I wasn’t concentrating. I fucked up.”
“I fucked up,” Nathan mocked. “I’m sure the Kings will find that hilarious when they show up Saturday to pick up the goddamn bike. You know, after they give us a beat down.”
And I wished I hadn’t gone into business with my entire family, like a moron. My temples began to throb in that special way that only my brothers could make me feel.
My middle brother Ryan laughed and muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “I’d like to see them try.”
“Really?” Nathan scoffed. “You think you could hold your own with the one-percent motorcycle club that runs this city? They would eat you for breakfast.”
“They could try,” Ryan retorted as he straightened from his slouch. He closed the distance between him and Nathan in a slow, measured saunter. “We all remember who ended up with a broken nose the last time me and you danced. Wanna go again?”
There was a reason the Urban Channel was in talks with our lawyer to make our previous hour long special into a weekly reality show. The four of us together defined drama.
And dysfunction.
“ENOUGH!” I roared, finally at the end of my patience. “We don’t have time for another run to the E.R. because you two can’t figure out how to get along. We gotta fix this mess and build the bike before we piss off the Kings. They’re our biggest client right now. We don’t have time for finger pointing. So calm the hell down, or get the fuck out. Either way, this bike will be done by Saturday. We clear?”
“Clear,” Nathan muttered with a glare Ryan’s way.
Ryan smirked. “I could use the weekend off.”
“If you’re not careful, you’re gonna have a whole lot of weekends off.” I shook my head.
“Wait, what?” Ryan turned and blinked at me.
“I’m tired of your bullshit.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “This is a fucking business. Do you think you’d get away with any of your screwing off if you worked for someone else? It’s time to grow up. You’re twenty-seven years old for Christ’s sake.”
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. I’m done bailing you out—both literally and figuratively. You need to start treating this like an actual job. What time did you even come in this morning?”
“Ten,” Ryan muttered.
“I was here at seven. Nathan showed up at eight. Dylan too. How is that fair?”
Ryan hitched a shoulder and studied the tips of his boots, all his earlier bravado gone.
I shook my head. “Maybe try being an adult for a change. God knows I’ve had to be one since I was eight years old.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes at me. “That’s a low blow.”
Dylan and Nathan shot me sidelong glances, but neither said a word. Dylan’s face took a reddish hue. He hated confrontation of any kind, but I was too tired to give a shit at the moment. Especially since he was the reason we were in this mess in the first place.
“So, if we’re all done measuring our dicks, can we come up with a plan to finish this bike? Preferably before the Kings make us regret ever taking this job?” I looked from one brother to another.
After a beat, each gave me a grudging nod. Except Ryan.
“What’s it gonna be, bro?” I asked. “You staying or going?”
“I’m still here, aren’t I?” Ryan retorted. Like that was an answer.
Or a fucking apology.
I suppressed the urge to give him the beatdown he clearly wanted. Despite how much he’d pissed me off. We didn’t have the time, and I really didn’t want to spend the whole day in the E.R.
Again.
“Fantastic,” I muttered sarcastically. “Dylan will repaint the cans tonight, and the three of us will be here first thing tomorrow to finish the build. If it all goes smoothly, we shouldn’t have any problem finishing the bike by Saturday. But no more screwups. Clear?”
“Crystal,” Nathan snarled. More than likely he was still pissed that he hadn’t been able to swing on Ryan.
Join the club.
Dylan picked up the cans and left the room without a word. He’d been oddly silent through most of the exchange. Usually he’d have something to say in Ryan’s defense—those two were thick as thieves—but today he was practically a zombie stumbling around the shop. I made a mental note to check in with him later today and find out what had crawled up his ass.
“I’ll call T-Bone and move the reveal a few hours back. Maybe we should bring the bike to them, instead of having the reveal at the shop.”
Nathan hitched a shoulder. “Could be a good idea. If they have one of their infamous parties, they’ll be more mellow.”
“Anything to avoid a fight, huh, Nate?” Ryan taunted.
Nathan took a threatening step in Ryan’s direction.
“Whoa, okay. You—” I said pointing in Nathan’s direction. “Go home. Get some sleep. Maybe have some booze first, so you mellow the fuck out.”
Nathan lifted his upper lip in a snarl before turning on his heel and stomping away. Before he reached the door, he picked up an empty gas can and hurled it into the wall with a thunderous crash. It fell to the floor with one side completely caved in.
A beat later, the office door slammed shut with a wallop that shook the walls.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
“And you,” I turned to my only remaining brother, and the biggest literal pain in my neck today. “You’d better be here bright and early tomorrow.”
“Sure,” Ryan replied sullenly.
“I’m not screwing around. We’re cutting it close as is. We don’t have time for you to keep needling Nathan and pulling this bullshit.”
“Whatever, bro.” Ryan pushed away from the cabinet he’d been leaning against.
“You gotta grow the fuck up and be an adult. I’m not kidding, Ry. If you’re not here at seven tomorrow, you’re gone.”
He lifted a middle finger in salute as he walked away from me.
It probably sounded like an empty threat, since it wasn’t the first time I’d made it.
But it would be the last because I was done.
Done with their bullshit. Done with E.R. visits (and bills) because my brothers were at each other’s throats. Done with all the family drama. I needed a tropical island getaway—somewhere far, far away from my crazy family.
Running away was a regular fantasy of mine. I craved somewhere quiet, secluded, and just peaceful. Maybe I’d hit up my friend, former client, and rock star great, Cole Jackson, and see if I could borrow his Tahoe retreat. The place was crazy—super luxe with a freaking media room and every amenity you could think of. Apparently it was vacant most of the season since Cole was on the road right now.
I sighed. One day.
Instead, I retreated to my silent office, passing my cousin and Badass Builds’ CPA, Sabrina, on the way.
“Is it all clear?” Sabrina asked, as she tugged on the cuffs of her oversized sweater then crossed her arms over her chest.
“Yeah, sorry about the fireworks. Nate and Ry took off for the night. Dylan is in the paint shed fixing the cans. It’ll probably be a late night for him.”
Sabrina nodded then gave me a sad smile. “Did you mean it?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“Ryan. Are you really going to fire him if he doesn’t show up on time tomorrow?”
I closed my eyes with a muttered curse. “You heard that part, huh?”
“Pretty sure the nail salon down the block heard your threat. And Nathan. You all get kinda loud when you’re uh, discussing stuff.”
That was Sabrina’s nice way of saying we get loud when shit hits the fan.
“I don’t know. He’s my brother and I love him. But shit’s gotta change. I’ve worked almost every weekend since I started
building motorcycles. Ryan’s had it too easy. I’m tired of holding his hand. He’s a freaking adult. He needs to start acting like it.” I rubbed a weary hand over my face. “And with Dylan’s fuck up, we’re cutting it crazy close to get the Kings’ build done in time. I’m just so fucking tired, Sabby.”
“Well, when’s the last time you took a vacation? Oh wait, I can answer that. When you finished the bike for Cole Jackson, and he took you all up to his cabin. That was what? Over six months ago? That’s not healthy, Austin. You need a break.”
I chuckled wearily. “I can always sleep when I’m dead.”
“The way you’re going, that’ll be sooner than later. I’m worried about you.”
“You’re sweet, Sabby, but I’m fine. I’m gonna go do some paperwork, but I’ll knock off early tonight. I promise.”
Sabrina shook her head. “Still not good enough. Maybe you should hit Mom’s diner on the way home. She’ll get you straightened out.”
I snorted. “I definitely don’t have the energy for Wendy tonight.” My aunt was a ballbreaker and lifelong meddler. The last thing I needed tonight was a dose of Aunt Wendy.
“Think about it. Goodnight, Austin.”
“Night Sabrina.” I shook my head as I walked past her and down the hall toward my office. I’d have to have a death wish if I went to Bette’s Diner when Wendy was working. The food was amazing, but the lecture that came with it wasn’t worth the price of admission.
I spent the next twenty minutes on the phone with T-Bone, promising him everything but my firstborn to push the reveal a few hours back and bring the bike to him at the Kings’ clubhouse. I finally hung up the phone with a groan. If this reveal didn’t go well, we could kiss our business goodbye.
Fast: A Pregnant by the Bad Boy Romance (Burns Brothers Book 2) Page 25
